Wahoos Lose To Jackson
August 23, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos let a game slip away when Jackson Generals left fielder Jamie Westbrook crushed a homer into Pensacola Bay in the eighth inning.
The game-winning home run gave the Generals a, 3-2, victory over Pensacola, which fell to 20-26 on the season in one-run games.
Pensacola had chances to add more runs Tuesday in the second, third and eighth innings but left six runners on base and went 0-6 with runners in scoring position.
After scoring 8.5 runs a game and hitting .294 during its five-game win streak, the Blue Wahoos have scored seven runs in its last four games.
“If I knew that I wouldn’t be managing in Double-A,” said Pensacola manager Pat Kelly when asked about the Blue Wahoos offense. “We jumped on them early but didn’t do anything after that.”
Pensacola third baseman Nick Senzel broke his 1-for-14 slump by hitting a high fly ball that barely sailed over the right field fence into Hill-Kelly Hill with second baseman Arismendy Alcantara on base to give the Blue Wahoos a 2-0 lead.
The 22-year-old, who was the second overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Cincinnati Reds, has belted 10 homers in the second half for the Blue Wahoos.
Pensacola drew 3,567 fans to Tuesday’s game at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The ballclub has 14 sellouts of 5,038 this season and has reached 267,230 total fans for the year.
To keep its streak alive of drawing more than 300,000 fans a season since its inaugural year in 2012, Pensacola must average about 4,100 fans in the last eight games of its current 10-game homestand.
Also in the crowd Tuesday was Hall of Fame coach Tony La Russa, the Arizona Diamondbacks chief baseball analyst. Jackson is the Diamondbacks Double-A affiliate. La Russa and Walt Jocketty, the Cincinnati Reds executive advisor to the CEO, took in the game together.
Kelly said he admires La Russa, the third winningest coach in baseball history, four-time manager of the year and three-time World Series champion. Kelly credits La Russa, then a White Sox manager, for advising him to take a pitching coach position with organization’s rookie league team in 1984.
“I’ve always looked up to him,” said Kelly, who has taken Pensacola to the playoffs three straight seasons. “I’ve read all his books and used some of his philosophies and incorporated them into my strategies.”
Kelly is trying to manage the Blue Wahoos to win its fifth straight half, which would be a Southern League record. Under Kelly, Pensacola is now tied with the Tennessee Smokies, which won four straight halves between 2009 and 2011.
The Blue Wahoos dropped to 27-30 in the second half and are 3.5 games out of first place in the Southern Division behind the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Jackson improved to 26-31 in the Northern Division
After the Blue Wahoos took the early lead, Jackson came right back to tie the game. Generals right fielder Kelly Dugan ripped a double over the center fielder’s head to drive in Jackson catcher Michael Perez to trail Pensacola, 2-1.
The Generals tied the game up, 2-2, in the fourth inning when shortstop Vladimir Frias smacked a hard liner into center field with two out to drive in Westbrook. Westbrook was 2-4 with two runs scored, a solo home run and RBI.
Meanwhile, in his last outing against the Mississippi Braves, Pensacola right-hander Keury Mella snapped a streak of 10 starts without a win. He failed to get his first win in 12 starts at home Tuesday but threw a season-high 103 pitches and gave the Blue Wahoos six strong innings. Mella, 3-10 with a 4.69 ERA, allowed two runs on five hits, three walks and tied his season-high with seven strikeouts — three Ks came in the fourth inning.
Wahoos Overcome Jackson 3-1
August 22, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos left fielder Josh VanMeter seems automatic with runners in scoring position.
The 22-year-old came to the plate Monday with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning and drilled a ground ball into left field to drive in two runs, giving Pensacola a, 3-1, victory against the Jackson Generals at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
VanMeter’s game-winning single drove in second baseman Arismendy Alcantara and right fielder Gabriel Guerrero. Additionally, he is now 3-for-7 or .429 with the bases loaded with 10 RBIs.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly liked VanMeter’s chances at the plate in that situation.
“I can’t think of a better guy to come up in that situation,” Kelly said. “Even lefty on lefty he got a fastball and pulled it. That was beautiful.”
The win was the first in the five-game series against Jackson and its last 10-games at home.
“Everyone dreams of being in that situation,” VanMeter said. “Those situations are always fun for sure. We know we’re in the playoffs but we’re still competing. We ultimately want to win the second half. Hopefully, we can make it five.”
Pensacola, which won the first half Southern Division crown, and the Tennessee Smokies are the only two teams in Southern League history to win four halves in a row. Tennessee did it between 2009 and 2011.
With Monday’s win, the Blue Wahoos improved to 27-29 in the second half and are 2.5 games out of first place behind the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Jackson fell to 25-31 in the Northern Division.
Pensacola right fielder Gabriel Guerrero crushed a bomb to left field to put the Blue Wahoos on the scoreboard first in the third inning, 1-0. It was his sixth homer this season. Plus, Guerrero went 2-2 with two walks and two runs scored for his 39th multi-hit game of the season.
Jackson tied the score, 1-1, when left fielder Jamie Westbrook, who walked to lead off the fifth inning, scored on a Vladimir Frias sacrifice fly to center field. With two outs, Jackson starting pitcher Joel Payamps hit a long fly ball to the warning track in the right center gap that Pensacola’s Guerrero chased down to prevent Generals right fielder Kelly Dugan from scoring from second.
Meanwhile, in his last five starts, Deck McGuire has chased his career-high 10 wins. But the seven-year minor league veteran left after seven innings Monday with the game tied, 1-1. His record remained stuck at 9-8 with a Southern League leading 2.63 ERA.
“It doesn’t matter as long as we win the game I don’t care who gets the win,” McGuire said.
The 2010 first round draft pick allowed one run on five hits, walked one and struck out six.
This season, McGuire also leads the Southern League in innings pitched with 157.1, is tied for first with 155 strikeouts and second with opponents batting .207 against him. It has led to a resurgence in his professional career.
“The biggest thing for me is being more consistent,” McGuire said. “I’m having a lot of fun. Hopefully, I’ll be in the big leagues one day.”
It also consoles Kelly to know McGuire will pitch every fifth day in Pensacola’s rotation.
“We know every fifth day he’s a guy who is going to get a ton of innings for you,” Kelly said. “He’s going to have 27 or 28 starts for us and he has taken advantage of it.”
Pensacola reliever Carlos Gonzalez got the last three outs for his fifth save in seven opportunities. In his previous three games, he was 0-1 pitching 2.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks and striking out one.
Jackson starting pitcher Joel Payamps worked six innings and allowed one run on four hits and two walks and struck out five.
Photos courtesy Barrett McClean Photography/Blue Wahoos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mississippi Downs Wahoos 3-2 On Walk-off Single
August 21, 2017
Thanks to first baseman Gavin LaValley, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos tied the game 2-2 in the top of the ninth inning.
LaValley smacked a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in right fielder Gabriel Guerrero but the Mississippi Braves loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and shortstop Dylan Moore delivered a single to right field that scored pinch runner Joey Meneses to give the Braves a, 3-2, victory Sunday at Trustmark Park.
Pensacola won the five-game series, 3-2.
The Blue Wahoos fell to 26-29 in the second half in the Southern Division and the first half champions are 66-59 overall this season. Meanwhile, Mississippi improved to 16-37 in the second half and 50-73 overall.
For the second game in a row, Pensacola’s bats betrayed them. They were hitting .294 and averaging 8.5 runs a game but only earned four hits Sunday, after earning three the day before.
Mississippi righty Wes Parsons threw seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits, a walk and striking out six Pensacola batters.
The Braves led 2-0 when he left the game scoring a run in the second inning when second baseman Travis Demeritte doubled, his 17th of the year, to score left fielder Jared James, who had hit his sixth triple of the season, which tied him for third in the Southern League.
In the sixth inning, Mississippi scored the second time when third baseman Austin Riley singled on a ground ball to center field that drove in right fielder Tyler Neslony.
Pensacola finally scored in the eighth inning when second baseman Alberti Chavez grounded into a double play that scored center fielder Jonathan Reynoso from third base to pull the Blue Wahoos within, 2-1.
Starting for Pensacola Sunday was right-hander Jose Lopez who pitched six innings, allowed two runs on five hits and no walks and struck out six. He didn’t factor in the decision and is 7-1 with a 2.50 ERA.
Pensacola closer Zack Weiss, who has nine saves for Pensacola, blew his third save opportunity and earned the loss to fall to 2-3 with a 3.93 ERA. He gave up two hits and walked one in 0.2 innings of relief.
Wahoos Lose 4-0 To Mississippi
August 20, 2017
During its past six games, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos averaged 8.5 runs a game, scoring 11 twice, and hit .294 as a team.
But its five game winning streak ended Saturday, thanks to Mississippi Braves right-hander Touki Toussaint, who shut them out over seven innings allowing just two hits, walking two and striking out nine. The former first round pick in 2014 by the Arizona Diamondbacks led Mississippi to a, 4-0, victory Saturday over Pensacola at Trustmark Park.
It was the 13th game that the Blue Wahoos were shutout this season.
Pensacola was 3-29 at the plate in the game against Mississippi, with shortstop Blake Trahan smacking a double and third baseman Nick Senzel and catcher Chad Tromp each hitting singles. It was the 13th game that the Blue Wahoos were shutout this season.
Toussaint earned his first Double-A win and is 1-3 in four starts with a 2.05 ERA. The Atlanta Braves No. 15 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and benefitted from a double play.
Trahan was the only Blue Wahoos hitter that Toussaint allowed to reach second base in the game when he hit his 15th double of the year to lead off the sixth inning.
Pensacola had already beaten Mississippi’s Kolby Allard, the No. 3 pitching prospect, and Mike Soroka, the No. 5 pitching prospect in the Braves organization
Mississippi scored three runs in the third inning to go ahead, 3-0, with two of those knocked in by catcher Alex Jackson when his single to left field drove in both left fielder Tyler Neslony and shortstop Dylan Moore. Right fielder Connor Joe then drove in third baseman Austin Riley on a line drive single to Pensacola center fielder Gabriel Guerrero, who gunned down Jackson at the plate.
Moore crushed a homer to centerfield, his sixth of the year, in the seventh inning to give the Braves a 4-0 lead.
Pensacola starter Jesus Reyes was replaced after three innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, two walks and six strikeouts. He fell to 1-3 with a 3.22 ERA.
Pensacola fell to 26-28 in the second half in the Southern Division and the first half champions are 66-58 overall on the season. Meanwhile, Mississippi improved to 15-37 in the second half and 49-73 overall.
Friday Night Football Finals
August 19, 2017
Here are final scores from the varsity portion of play from off classics in Florida last, plus one Alabama AISA score:
FLORIDA
- Vernon 21, Northview 6
- Tate 27, Pensacola High 3
- West Florida 18, Pine Forest 6
- Washington 10, Crestview 10
- Escambia 14, Catholic 13
- Baker 28 Jay 7 Varsity
ALABAMA
- Escambia Academy 39, Abbeville 18
Wahoos Win Fifth Straight
August 19, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos second baseman Arismendy Alcantara has made quite an impact on the Double-A ballclub in his first three games for them.
The 25-year-old, in his eighth professional season, got on base four times, scored twice and drove in an RBI Friday in the Blue Wahoos, 8-3, victory over the Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park.
Pensacola won its fifth straight game and clinched the five-game series against the M-Braves with its third win.
The Blue Wahoos, the first half Southern League South Division champions, improved to 26-27 in the second half. Mississippi fell to 14-37 in the second half.
Many of the Pensacola runs against Mississippi are thanks to Alcantara, who has played in the Major Leagues for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland A’s and Cincinnati Reds. He was 1-for-2 with double Friday and is now 5-for-13 for a .385 batting average, with two doubles, two triples, five runs scored and three RBIs.
In Friday’s game, Alcantara doubled in shortstop Blake Trahan in the third inning to tie the game, 1-1. Pensacola left fielder Gabriel Guerrero followed with a triple to right field to drive in Alcantara for a 2-1 Blue Wahoos lead.
Mississippi had scored first when left fielder Jared James homered to right field in the first inning. The Braves wouldn’t score again until they tacked on two more runs in the ninth inning after Pensacola had surged ahead, 8-1.
Besides Alcantara, Guerrero extended his hitting streak to eight games and recorded his fourth straight multi-hit game going 2-for-4 with a run, triple and an RBI for 44 this season. Guerrero, who is 7-for-13 (.538) against Mississippi, reached 37 multi-hit games for the season.
Pensacola center fielder Jonathan Reynoso was 2-for-5, with a double, run scored and RBI. Meanwhile, first baseman Gavin LaValley hit 1-for-5 with two RBIs.
Austin Ross started his third game since being injured and remains under a strict pitch limit, throwing 69, including 45 for strikes. He threw four innings, allowed one run on three hits, a walk and struck out three.
Reliever Domingo Tapia earned the win for Pensacola to improve to 4-6 with a 4.14 ERA. The big righty pitched three innings, allowed one hit and struck out two.
Fall Ball Registration Saturday At Molino Ballpark
August 18, 2017
Fall Ball registration at the Molino Ballpark will be held this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 1 pm. for t-ball, softball and baseball.
The registration fee is $55 per child, with age groups as follows:
Wee Ball : 3 years old
Tee Ball :4-6 years old
Baseball Coach Pitch : 7-8 years old
Baseball Minor :9-10 years old
Baseball Major :11-12 years old
Baseball Pony :13-15 years old
Softball Coach Pitch :7-8 years old
Softball 10U : 9-10 years old
Softball 12U :11-12 years old
Softball 16U :13-16 years old
Print a registration form in advance by clicking here.
A registration event will also be held August 26 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Molino Ballpark.
Wahoos Win 4th Straight
August 18, 2017
For the first time since June 15, chalk up a “W” next to Keury Mella on your scorecard.
Pensacola scored four runs in the sixth and six runs in the eighth to surge past Mississippi for their fourth consecutive win.
In just his second game since joining the Wahoos, Arismendy Alcantara had a monster night going 3-for-6 with two triples, a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. Pensacola’s 14 hits fell one shy of tying their season-high for hits in a game.
Alcantara led off the game with a triple and would come home to score on Gavin LaValley’s sac fly to right. The 1-0 lead was short lived when Dylan Moore launched a game-tying homer to left in the bottom of the frame.
However, Mella demonstrated tremendous resiliency after the homer to Moore by retiring the next eight Braves that came to the plate. Unfortunately, the ninth Brave was Moore who again hit one sharply off Mella, this time for a double.
After a pop out, Alex Jackson singled to left to score Moore, putting Mississippi back on top 2-1.
That lead would last Mississippi up until the sixth inning when the Wahoos hit for the cycle as a team and sent 10 men to the plate in their four-run rally.
Aristides Aquino got the sixth started by taking Braves starter Mike Soroka deep for his team-leading sixteenth homerun of the year. After a walk and a single, Alcantara unleashed his second triple of the night, giving the Wahoos a 3-2 lead.
Soroka then surrendered a double and a walk undoing what was otherwise a very strong outing by the Braves top right-handed pitching prospect. Jacob Webb replaced Soroka and helped strand a pair of runners after striking out Aquino to end the sixth.
With the lead returned to him again, Mella dialed it in on the mound and finished his night with just two earned runs over six innings giving the righty his first quality start since July 30.
The fourth inning that gave the Wahoos the lead would be overshadowed by an eighth inning that saw 11 Wahoos come to the plate. Jonathan Reynoso led off the inning with his second homer of the season in what would prove to be the tip of the iceberg for the Pensacola offense. Two base hits and five walks later, the Wahoos took the field in the bottom of the eighth with a comfortable 11-3 lead.
The Braves added a pair of consolation runs in the eighth and the ninth inning to make it an 11-5 final.
Aquino, Trahan and Guerrero each finished with 3 hits, with Aquino coming a triple shy of the cycle.
With the Wahoos win and the Jacksonville’s win over Mobile, the Wahoos will enter play tomorrow still 2.5 games behind the Jumbo Shrimp in the South Division.
Cantonment Baseball Field Gets Makeover From The Blue Wahoos
August 17, 2017
A field at the Cantonment Sportsplex got a makeover Wednesday with a little help from the Blue Wahoos.
Despite rain, completed renovations included measuring and moving the bases, removing weeds and cleaning the infield, edging the base paths and home plate area, picking up trash and painting.
“It’s important to us to give back to the community, so it was a great day,” said Blue Wahoos President Jonathan Griffith. “There was a great outpour from this community. This is a revival for the Cantonment Sportsplex Association and we wanted to help them and educate them on field turf management.”
Headed up by four-time Southern League Groundskeeper of the Year Ray Sayre, the field is safer for the kids to play baseball.
“Today’s young players are the future of the game of baseball,” said Sayre. “Beauty is great, but safety is number one. It was important to make sure the bases are the correct distances and same level.”
Volunteers for the renovation included team co-owner Bubba Watson, front office members, gameday staff members, Waste Management and members of the Cantonment community.
“This is exciting for our kids to have a professionally repaired field,” said Cantonment Sportsplex Association President Josh Longo. “It’s good for them to see what it’s like to play on a field that’s prepared by a professional crew. By having the parents involved in the nomination process and cleaning, it feels like we’re doing something right.”
The Cantonment Sportsplex was chosen for the renovation through a contest on WEAR TV.
Photos courtesy Barrett McClean Photography/Blue Wahoos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Top The Braves
August 17, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos left fielder Brian O’Grady smacked a sacrifice fly to center field to allow third baseman Nick Senzel to tag up from third and score the game-winning run in the 10th inning.
O’Grady earned a high-five from Pensacola manager Pat Kelly and his teammates as the Blue Wahoos pulled out a victory, 5-4, Wednesday over the Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park.
Senzel walked and reached third when first baseman Gavin LaValley doubled on a ground ball to left field. O’Grady’s game-winning RBI made up for his error on a fly ball hit by right fielder Tyler Neslony that allowed catcher Alex Jackson to score in the eighth inning and tie the game, 4-4
Pensacola is now 2-6 in extra-inning games and won its third straight game.
Pensacola starter Deck McGuire was trying to earn a career-high 10 wins but for the fourth straight start failed to get it. The 6-foot-6 righty earned a no-decision Wednesday, pitching 5.2 innings, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks and striking out six. McGuire is 9-8 with a 2.69 ERA. After the first inning, McGuire walked into the Pensacola dugout with his 1,000th career inning pitched under his belt.
Instead, reliever Geoff Broussard, who pitched a perfect ninth inning, got the win to improve to 4-2 with a 3.14 ERA.
Pensacola took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth inning when Senzel hit his 14th double for Pensacola to drive in left fielder Gabriel Guerrero to tie the game, 3-3. Blue Wahoos right fielder Aristides Aquino put Pensacola up, 4-3, when he slammed a double, his 16th on the year, that brought home, Senzel.
Mississippi had jumped out to a 3-0 lead when Jackson launched his second homer of the season in the second inning. The Braves added two more in the fourth inning when shortstop Dylan Moore scored on a double by third baseman Austin Riley and Neslony singled in Riley.
In the second half, Pensacola improved to 24-27 in the Southern League South Division and remains three games behind the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in fourth place. The first half champions are 64-57 overall.